Barton FREEway

The legend of the Barton FREEway dates back to 1964 and the
Gemini program. Elmer Barton was the Launch
Complex 19 facilities engineer for which he received the unofficial title of "Mayor of
Pad 19."

Launch Complex 19 was the launch site for the
Gemini-Titan vehicle, but the astronauts would suit-up in a
temporary building placed next to the blockhouse at neighboring
Launch Complex 16. This was a departure from the Mercury Program
when astronauts suited up in Hangar S, several miles distant in the
Cape industrial area. The suit up building at Launch Complex
16 was considerably closer than Hangar S, but it still required an
indirect trip of about one mile via ICBM Road in the transfer van, a modified delivery step van.
Completely suited in flying uniforms, the astronauts found even that
short distance uncomfortably hot (remember this is Florida). The astronauts,
reportedly none
more than Gus Grissom, wished
for a shortcut and let Barton know their feelings on the matter.

There were no programmed funds to build a shortcut, but there was
a need to clear all the underbrush between LC16 and LC19 for use as
a potential pad abort landing area for the astronauts' ejection
seats from the Gemini spacecraft. As part of the clearing operation,
Barton created a road on which trucks filled with underbrush were
required to exit. That road coincidentally began immediately next to
the suit up building on LC16 and doglegged north and east to intersect with
the Pad 19 perimeter road. In effect, it was the shortcut for which
the astronauts had always wished and very much appreciated.

In appreciation for this unofficial "free gift", the astronauts
had three signs made and installed them on the new FREEway.
Apparently a number of the astronauts were aware of the signs, but
the actual installation was executed under cover of darkness
reportedly by astronauts
Grissom, Schirra, and Stafford.

One of those original signs was donated by Elmer Barton and his
family to the Air Force Space and Missile Museum. Barton later put
his signature on the sign to identify it as the original he donated.
The sign is not on display at the museum. It has been located
in the old Cape headquarters building.